246. Memorandum From Twining to Gates1
SUBJECT
- U.S. Policy in the Event of War (NSC 5904/1) (C)
REFERENCE
- JCSM–149–60 (attached)
1. Attached are the divergent views of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on a proposed amendment to NSC 5904/1, prepared by the NSC Planning Board pursuant to NSC Action No. 2057.
2. The NSC Planning Board has reviewed NSC 5904/1 and has agreed to recommend to the National Security Council that, except for deletion of the footnote on page 2 as an editorial change, NSC 5904/1 not be revised at this time.
3. The Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; the Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of the Marine Corps have agreed to deletion of the footnote or as an alternative to change the title of the Section and modify the footnote.
4. The Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force does not agree to deletion of the entire footnote since the first sentence states U.S. policy which was current when NSC 5904/1 was approved. (17 March 1959). He does agree to the deletion of the second sentence as an editorial change.
5. I consider that NSC 5906/1, which considers the various types of war, provides the Joint Chiefs of Staff with adequate guidance for any amplifying directives to unified and specified commanders. Furthermore, I concur with the view of the NSC Planning Board that deletion of the footnote in NSC 5904/1 would be editorial.
[Facsimile Page 2]6. Accordingly, I recommend that the footnote be deleted.
Chairman
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Attachment:
JCSM–149–60
- Source: JCS views on revisions to NSC 5904/1. Top Secret. 2 pp. Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Twining Papers.↩